


Because You Loved Me

by MerWhoLocked



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Background Relationships, Canon Disabled Character, Erik is Crushing Harder than a 12-year Old Girl, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, M/M, Mutants are Known and Acccepted, Sappy Love Songs, sorta - Freeform, super fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 10:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9231314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerWhoLocked/pseuds/MerWhoLocked
Summary: Raven was eight years old when she first decided she wanted a big elaborate wedding. The bride could have been model off the runway, gorgeous in white lace and sequins. She wore the biggest smile on her face, glowing with a radiant sort of beauty that had Raven captivated throughout the entire ceremony. Someday Raven had decided, that would be her.Charles did everything in his power to make it happen, even introducing her to Hank. His boyfriend, Erik is insufferable at times but Charles loves him anyway. He wants to dance at her wedding but how can he with legs that will barely hold him up?They find a way.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was an old story that I started to to write just after First Class came out so it might have some inaccuracies with canon that is established in Days of Future Past and Apocalypse. It's set in its own universe though so it shouldn't matter. Mutants are known and accepted with the possibility of the normal prejudice that any other class can be subjected to. The timeline is a little wonky and I'm taking creative licence to play with the established ages a little bit but I tried to keep it simple.
> 
> Also beware the tooth-rotting fluff up ahead. This story is probably 70% fluff and 30% angst, making it a little more difficult than I'm used to since I'm usually an angst writer. It was kinda fun to write out of my comfort zone.

Raven was eight years old when she first decided she wanted a big elaborate wedding. It was two years after she’d been adopted by the Xavier family, taken from a life of poverty and into wealth and opportunity. Sharon and Kurt had been invited to a shareholders fourth attempt at a wedding and she’d been awed by the beauty and splendor that the family had put into such an event. The bride could have been model off the runway, gorgeous in white lace and sequins. She wore the biggest smile on her face, glowing with a radiant sort of beauty that had Raven captivated throughout the entire ceremony.

Someday Raven had decided, that would be her.

Charles had smiled fondly at her when she told him of her plans. After seeing how excited his little sister was, he had promised her that she would one day have her dream wedding, once she found a man worthy enough for her of course.

There was never a time in Raven’s life that she had doubted he wouldn’t come through for her. They had always been close and as a child Raven had been prone to following him around and clinging to him at social functions their parents had forced them to go to. Charles had never questioned or resented her presence, far shyer than she was and often bullied for things out of his control. He was her rock in this world, the one who she could always turn to when she was in trouble or needed support.

Now, twenty years later, it was only fitting that Charles had to be the one called down to force his stubborn sister out of her room mere hours before her dream wedding was supposed to begin. Angel, Raven’s best friend and maid of honor, had rushed to get him in the early hours of the morning when the bride had refused to open the door, her wings twitching in agitation.

“Raven.” Charles called as he knocked on the thick mahogany door separating them.  He could hear her restlessly pacing back and forth across the floor. He reached out gently for her mind only to be pushed back by a wave of anxiety. She had cold feet, Charles gleaned from her uneasy thoughts of canceling the wedding. She was trying to think of what she would tell everyone and the guilt of how much ire she was going to cause to the ones she loved.

 “Go away, Charles,” She shouted from behind the door, “I can’t do this.”

“Let me in, Raven.” Charles replied and then added mentally for her benefit. _We can talk about this. Please._

There was a second where Charles was worried she would deny him his request but Angel let out a sigh of relief when the door unlocked and opened just enough to let Charles angle his chair and roll in. She shut the door behind him and relocked it with determination, still dressed in her pink satin nightgown.

He started to say something but stopped abruptly when Raven gracefully curled her entire blue length up into his lap like a cat. Her arms wrapped around him and face nuzzled into the side of his neck like a child seeking comfort. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.  One hand reached up to caress her short vibrant red hair.

“What if I screw it up?” she asked, “I could trip while walking down aisle and knock the flowers over on top of Hank’s Grandmother. She already has it out for me!”

Charles chuckled, making Raven lift her head and smack him in the shoulder. “I’m having a panic attack, the least you could do is take me seriously!”

“Raven, darling,” he said patiently, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you trip the entire time I’ve known you. I have no doubt that you will make it down the aisle in one piece. As for Hank’s grandmother, I am sure you are overreacting. She is a very kind woman.”

“To you! I swear she tried to put a curse on me once.” Raven cried. Everyone loved Charles. If he thought that grace was a part of her mutation, then she would say charm was a part of his. He didn’t even try very hard and everyone who met him was instantly entranced by him.

Charles shook his head and kissed her head lovingly.

“I will support you if you choose to cancel the wedding but Hank will be very upset,” Charles gently reminded her, though there was not an ounce of guile or disappointment in his tone, “At the Stag last night, he wouldn’t stop talking about how excited he was to be marrying you. Alex even tried to get him drunk and expose him to some solicitous women as is tradition. He couldn’t stop talking about you, telling anyone who came in shouting distance that he was marrying you.”

Raven shook her head, the guilt eating at her, “That dork.” She said with a slight smile.

She couldn’t abandon him. She loved him too much and despite her fears, wanted more than anything to marry him. She just needed a little encouragement to get down the aisle. Something her brother was very good at.

“What shall I tell everyone?” Charles asked out loud. He made an effort to keep out of her thoughts when it wasn’t necessary even though it was hard not to accidently pick up surface emotions.

“Tell Angel I need some help getting into my dress. Thank you for everything brother but you’ll be completely hopeless at assisting me any further.” She said giving him one last kiss on the cheek before flouncing out of his lap.

On his way out, he told Angel the good news and with one last grateful look, she disappeared into the room to help the bride get ready for the big event.

Erik was just getting up by the time he returned to his room, stretching languidly on the large bed. He sat up and frowned in confusion, sleep mussed hair sticking in all different directions. It was endearing and something Charles loved to tease him about. It wasn’t odd that Charles was up this early, since he was a bit of early bird anyway but Erik was such a light sleeper and usually woke up at the slightest rustle. He’d learned to live with it but Charles was still adjusting. He’d never before had to make an effort to be quiet when getting out of bed since it was always a laborious affair of lifting and pulling himself into place. The fact that he had been successful this morning was nothing short of miraculous.

“Is everything alright?” Erik asked him as he stood and walked over to where Charles was seated on the bench, getting himself dressed.

“It will be.” Charles said smiling, “Just a bit of cold feet.”

 Erik leaned down and kissed him and Charles felt his heart flutter when he cupped the side of his face.

“Professor X to the rescue then.” He said teasingly when he finally pulled back. Charles rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nickname that his friends had given them after he’d been granted a teaching position last year at Columbia.

“You know, we don’t technically have to be ready for an hour or so.” Erik said, sidling up and perching himself onto Charles’s lap. He didn’t fit as nicely as Raven did but he made it work.

“I just got dressed. My clothes will be wrinkled.” Charles tried to protest, feeling a jolt of desire low in his belly.

“Then I should help you take them off so you won’t look ridiculous for your sister’s wedding.” Erik said devilishly as he untied the tie that Charles had just meticulously knotted around his neck. He kissed up along the smooth skin of Charles neck, hard enough to nip but soft enough that he wouldn’t leave any visible marks. As much as Erik wanted everyone to see his claim, Charles wouldn’t be very pleased even though he was sure that Raven would have at least found it amusing.

“Mein gott, Charles,” Erik pulled away to stare into Charle’s breathtaking blue eyes, clouded with lust. All for him. He kissed him on the lips while his hands were preoccupied with unbuttoning Charles’s dress shirt.

“Erik,” Charles whined into Erik’s mouth, breaking apart for air. Erik made love like he was devouring something, putting all his focus into pulling Charles apart and putting him back together again. He kissed similarly. Charles rarely tried to challenge Erik for control, loving the way that it made him feel protected and overwhelmed at the same time.

“We don’t have time,” Charles protested with little conviction when he broke away for air. There was so much he had to do before the wedding started. He had a wedding planner to help him with the little details and no doubt she would be looking for him soon to start on some preparations they’d discussed last night at the rehearsal.

Like she’d been summoned, Jean Grey their friend and unofficial wedding planner, knocked on the door just as Erik was tugging Charles’s shirt off. They both pulled away panting, hearts racing in unison.

Charles groaned quietly at the unfairness of it all. His pants were uncomfortably tight and obviously tented. There was no way he could go out like this. His pout caused Erik’s shark-like grin to appear. Charles looked positively debauched, lips red and swollen, face flushed from excitement. And on his neck a small pink mark was staring to form that would later turn into a purple bruise despite his earlier caution.

“Charles?” Jean asked, growing worried.

“Hold on one minute,” Charles called out in case she tried to come in and check on him from his lack of response. The last thing he needed was anyone to see him like this. He’d like to maintain what little dignity he had left.

“I can meet you downstairs if you’re not ready. The florist is going to arrive soon and I’ll have to sign and direct them,” Jean said amicably. Everyone knew how increasingly hard it was for Charles to get himself up and ready in the mornings.

As if in reminder, his right leg spasmed uselessly underneath Erik, his failing nerves short-circuiting. Charles let out a slightly pained sigh, prompting Erik to climb off his lap and get onto his knees in front of him. Without preamble Erik expertly manipulated his leg, extending it slowly to stretch out the strained muscle. Charles let out an almost inaudible whimper as the pain sharpened and then eased. He despised this particular exercise but then he would remind himself that he was lucky to feel anything at all, even if it was pain. Sooner or later he wouldn’t even have that much.

Due to a degenerative muscle disease, Charles started losing sensation in his legs when he was in his early twenties. It was hereditary and something that had no medical cure as of yet, though he did pour thousands of dollars into research every year for the cause. He doubted he’d see a cure in his lifetime but he was working alongside brilliant scientists to help people like himself in the future. It was how he’d met Hank and then later introduced him to Raven. He’d tried not to feel bitter about what his life had become for his family’s sake but some days he remembers how he used to play football with his friends at Oxford and now, only seven years later, was increasingly confined to a wheelchair and eventually would be for the rest of his life.

“He’ll meet you downstairs,” Erik agreed for him, carefully watching Charles for his reaction.

“Alright. Come find me when you’re done.” Jean said and left, unaware of the desolation she’d left in her wake.

“We should get ready,” Charles said lowly, cheeks turning pink in embarrassment when he realized that his arousal had completely flagged due to the pain. He forced a smile, brittle as it was, pretending it didn’t bother him.

Erik watched uncertainly as Charles continued getting dressed in silence and then transferred to his chair with some difficulty.  He hovered nearby in case he was needed. Though he longed to help, he knew that Charle’s pride would adamantly refuse it.

“I will see you later.” Erik leaned up and kissed Charles gently, hoping that everything he didn’t know how to say would be conveyed through that small action alone. He’d never been the best with emotions, his or anyone else’s.

Charles smiled stiffly at him and then rolled out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him so that Erik would have some privacy while he changed.

He found Jean at the backdoor, directing a man with giant bouquet of radiant white and purple flowers to the south lawn where they were setting up for the ceremony. It was to take place on a giant white gazebo with cedar wood floors that had been constructed by previous generations to host grand parties. Each of the pillars were wrapped with a purple silk and elegant white folding chairs were lined around the isle, swathed with ribbons. White lights were strung along the guard rails and the edges of the roof.

Jean had outdone herself on the decorations. Raven deserved all the best and Charles hadn’t spared a single detail. The priest was set to arrive within the hour, something that Charles had negotiated with Hank’s religious grandmother. Even though Hank had long since walked away from the church, she had insisted on the wedding taking place in one. Charles had used his so called ‘charm’ to get her to agree to having it at the mansion, knowing how itchy Raven got when they were forced to attend church as children.  

“Good Morning, Charles,” Jean said when she saw him, looking beautiful in a ruby red slinky dress that complimented her chestnut hair and accentuated her curves.

“You look absolutely stunning,” Charles said as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

“Thank you.” She said, “You don’t clean up too bad yourself. If anything we succeeded in getting you out of those tacky sweater vests. Raven was worried you would insist on wearing one.”

He shook his head in amusement, “It’s only temporary. Tomorrow I will be back to my old boring self. It’s not like I get enough grief about it.”

Jean giggled, her nose scrunching up adorably. She was a catch for sure. Any man would be fortunate to be with her and Charles counted himself lucky that he was able to call her a friend. They had met in college. Jean was a couple years behind him and Charles had become her mentor. Now that they were out of school, Jean had taken up a teaching position at a local elementary school where she had met her husband, a man named Logan. He was the gym teacher and coach of the high school basketball team.

“Where are the boys?” Charles asked, looking around.

“Alex and Sean are getting Hank ready, which I hear is proving to be difficult. As difficult as I hear Raven was being this morning. It seems a case of cold feet is going around. Scott is helping the DJ set up and Bobby is on ring duty. ”

There was a childlike laughter from behind them and gaggle of kids came barreling around the corner, chasing after Zeus, Charles’s German Sheppard. He was originally purchased to help him with his therapy but he quickly became a fan favorite with the kids that frequented his mansion. Zeus had the ring bearer pillow in his mouth and was playing keep away with the kids from what he could tell from their frenzied movements. He hoped the rings had been removed. He wouldn’t want to be the one to tell Raven that they had to postpone the ring ceremony because his dog had ate them.

“Zeus, give it back.” Bobby squealed happily. Anna Marie and Katherine, better known to their friends and family as Rogue and Kitty, were both smiling widely, carefree and naive about the gravity of the situation as most kids were. All three were students at Jean’s elementary and came to the mansion two days a week after school and on the weekends after Charles had opened it up to help young mutants develop their powers. Jean, Ororo, Logan, Hank, Alex, Sean and a bunch of other good friends volunteered their time to help him out.

“I should go fix that before Hank’s mother gets wind of it. She’s been terrorizing the caterers all morning.” Jean said with a soft sigh. Charles whistled and Zeus obediently came and sat on his haunches in front of Charles, still holding he pillow in his mouth.

“Drop it.” Charles reached out and Zeus put it in his hand with a whine, knowing on a basic level that he was in trouble. Despite what everyone thought, he had no control over the thoughts of animals and could not read his dogs mind. He was just very well attuned to Charles and his needs, like he was trained to be.

“Good boy,” Charles praised and Zeus let out a happy bark, tongue hanging from his mouth.

Bobby approached him demurely, having been properly chastised by Jean.

“I’m sorry, Professor.” He murmured sadly. Kitty and Rogue stood behind him, twin looks of guilt on their faces.

“Just try not to let him get it again,” Charles smiled at them, “Where are the rings?”

“Mr. Howlett took them. He said that he will keep them safe for me till the wedding.” Bobby said and Charles sent a telepathic thank you to Logan, who was enjoying a cigar on the patio.

Logan gave him a stoic nod of acknowledgment, though his thoughts were filled with nothing but respect for Charles. He was often baffled at the amount of admiration and esteem that the others had for him. He liked to think he was doing what anyone else with a large fortune and kind heart would do but the others saw it differently. They treated him like he was someone to look up to and Charles couldn’t properly explain how much it meant to him, coming from a kid who was often tormented from his peers for who he was.

Charles felt Ororo’s mind before he saw her approach, her white hair pulled up and pinned back with a pink impala lily braided into it. She wore a yellow strapless dress that stopped at her knees and a pair of matching high heels.

“I need my flower girls to come and get ready,” she said and both girls squealed in excitement. Ororo bent down and kissed Charles on the cheek before whisking them away to get dressed for the ceremony. Logan appeared seconds later, clapping Bobby on the shoulder and leading him away. He was in charge of both Bobby and Scott, one of the boys on his team and Alex’s teenage brother.

Zeus whined at the absence of his playmates but loyally stayed by Charles’s side, head dropping into his lap.

“I guess it’s getting close to that time.” Charles stroked the fur along his head, feeling dejected that he wasn’t able to help much. Jean had taken care of everything. He sighed, “Should we go for a quick walk? I know you want to attend the ceremony but I will have to keep you in the house.” Hank’s mother was allergic.

He stopped by the parlor to switch out his wheelchair for his forearm crutches. They were an identical pair of metal sticks that had a grip and a cuff around his forearm that made it so he was still be able to walk by distributing the weight throughout his upper body, helping him balance on his deteriorating legs. They made him feel like he still had a measure of freedom but found that they quickly tired him out.

Despite the misconception the he was ‘walking’ Zeus, in actuality it was the other way around. Zeus stayed by his side, slowly keeping pace with Charles and subtly watching his owner in case he lost balance and fell over. It had taken a while to trust that Zeus had enough strength to hold him up but now he didn’t hesitate to grab him if he fell to cushion the fall and find help if it was needed. He wore a harness that made it easier and safer for Charles to grab onto.

By time he made it back to the mansion, it was almost time for the ceremony to start and his legs were sore and shaking. Erik was waiting for him, nervously fiddling with his tie and inadvertently wrinkling it. Charles grinned as Zeus barked eagerly upon seeing his second favorite person but refrained from running up to greet him like any dog normally would, trained to stay by Charles’s side when commanded to.

 “You shouldn’t have gone for a walk.” Erik chided him, walking over and taking some of Charles’s weight, “Especially since you’re going to be standing in the ceremony.”

Charles had insisted. He wasn’t going to be the only one sitting in the wedding party. He was already shirking his duties as best man enough as it was by not being there to help Hank. It pained him to admit but he wouldn’t have been very much help and consequently Hank had excused him to go help Jean with planning and organization. Alex and Sean were more than willing to step in for him as his groomsmen.

“Zeus needed it.” Erik didn’t believe him for one second but he decided to let it go. Charles was as stubborn and prideful as Erik though neither of them would admit it.

“Come’on,” Erik said instead, “Hank could probably use some encouraging words right about now.”

Charles laughed, “It’s been a recurring theme today.”

Erik helped him back into his chair and held onto his crutches for easy access as they took the elevator up to the second floor. Hank was pacing the hall outside his room while Alex and Sean watched with irritation.

“Oh, good.” Alex said pushing away from the wall he was leaning on, “You can talk some sense into him. I’ve had my fill for the day.” He said in irritation and dragged Sean away, promising to meet them downstairs.

“Professor, have you seen Raven this morning.” Hank asked clearly agitated.

“Yes. I talked to her first thing but we didn’t get to speak long. Angel was helping her into her dress.” Charles assured him, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just a little nervous.” Hank admitted, face flushed in embarrassment.

“Don’t be. Everything is perfect and when you see her walking down the aisle, you will forget all about your worries. You just have to be there waiting for her.” Charles said patting Hank on the arm.

“I know, Professor. I just…” Hank tried to say but Charles shook his head, cutting him off.

“Don’t think too much, Hank,” Charles said, gently cutting him off, “This is all going to seem so silly one day, looking back on it. You and Raven are perfect for one another and I wouldn’t have allowed anything less for my little sister,”

Hank smiled brilliantly, this thoughts radiating happiness.

“I’m glad,” he said ducking his head, cheeks tinted pink, “I want to make her happy and your blessing is important to me.” Charles didn’t know what to say and Erik glanced around the room, feeling uncomfortable.

“She always says the same thing, you know.” Hank added as an afterthought, “That I think too much.”

Charles laughed, “She’s right. I would know because she’s spent my entire life telling me the same thing.”

“We are going to miss the ceremony if we delay any longer,” Erik reminded them gruffly. Charles reached up and took his hand, giving it a squeeze in appreciation. Erik was glad to see that he was feeling better, his smile genuine instead of the forced one he’d wore earlier.

The mansion was built in a timeworn Victorian style, old world mortar and brick with large spires and turrets. It housed the entire guest list comfortably and Charles was pleased to see how well everything had turned out. It hadn’t looked this wonderful in years and it was even livelier with all the kids running around. His parents had the misfortune of only having one child and even with the arrival of Raven, this house had always been two big for their small family.

They arrived at the gardens, Erik using his powers to push his chair through the grass when it became too rough for Charles to navigate. Hank took his place at the altar, nervously twisting his hands and Alex slapped them away, reaching up to smooth out imaginary wrinkles in the lapel of his tux. Erik pushed his chair up next to them and Sean immediately moved to his other side to help lift him up to his feet. As soon as he was out of the chair, he was thankful for both of their help as his legs threatened to collapse underneath him. He tried to hide a grimace of pain but Erik was watching him closely as he helped him stand and gave him a frown of disapproval. Alex scooted over to make room, hovering by just in case his aid was needed. Charles pushed down the rising mortification and concentrated on balancing as Erik handed him his crutches.

_Are you sure you want to stand? No one would look down on you for needing to sit._ Erik pushed the thought into his mind and Charles fought the urge to glower in his direction. He knew it came from a place of caring but he was determined to stand on his volition.

_Yes, I am._ He projected stubbornly, then softened the blow with a smile. _You worry too much, love. It’s not going to kill me to push myself on occasion._

Erik scowled, making his opinion clear that he disagreed on that subject.

When Charles was sure that he wasn’t going to fall over, he gently push both men away and Erik took his seat on the first row, the closest he could get to him without actually being a part of the wedding party. Charles knew that he was unconsciously waiting for him to fall and was preparing himself to be there in case of it. Charles was mulishly determined to prove his lover wrong.

At the sound of the traditional wedding march, Alex took his place, shoving Sean aside to stand next to the professor. Charles graced him with an exasperated but equally fond expression while Sean elbowed him in retaliation.

Kitty and Rogue were equally adorable as they walked down the aisle, dressed in pale lavender dresses. They smiled as they dropped white petals on the ground from wicker baskets, and then joined Ororo at the end of Raven’s line of bridesmaids. They turned to look up at her with expectant faces and she gave them both a kiss on the cheek. Angel smiled, sharing amused glance with Jean and Emma, Raven’s two other bridesmaids.

Bobby was next, following them down with rings safely tucked against the small pillow that had been safely rescued from his dog.

Raven appeared at the end of the isle, dressed in a strapless white dress with a lacy bust that fell in waves to the ground. She was stunning and Hank couldn’t keep his eyes off her as she walked down the aisle with Azazel on her arm in a black tuxedo. Their son, Kurt, toddled behind them, hanging onto her train and trying to keep up on his short legs. Traditionally, Charles should have been the one to give her away but Raven had asked her best friend to do it, knowing that he was feeling a little out of place in her life.

Azazel had been a there for her during those lonely years while Charles was away at university and during an alcohol induced party they had participated in a short lived but passionate love affair. It had fizzled out quickly after the alcohol had worn off though their friendship had always remained. It wasn’t long after that, that Charles had received a tear stained phone call at three in the morning from his sister who’d just found out she was pregnant. This was two years before she’d met Hank and had refused to give up the baby because of her own mistakes. Charles had supported her decision and his nephew though Azazel had been an attentive and loving father.

The ceremony went on without a hitch and when it was time to say “I do” Raven and Hank did so with tears in their eyes. They kissed and the crowd cheered, clapped and whistled loudly for them. Charles watched in adoration as his sister smiled radiantly, hoping that it was everything she had ever wanted and more.

During the reception, Charles had to stand once again to give a speech. He tapped his fork against his glass to get everyone’s attention and then suddenly had at least two hundred eyes on him. It was nerve-wracking but he was confident in his ability to speak in front of large crowds, thankful for his chosen career.

“Raven asked me to give a speech for both the bride and the groom, a little unorthodox but that is my sister for you,” Charles said which earned a small round of chuckles.

“I’ve known Raven since she was eight years old. She wasn’t born my sister but when I found her rummaging through the contents of my refrigerator late one night while my parents were sleeping, I knew then and there that she was something special. We adopted her into our family a few days later and life has never been boring since then. Raven is beautiful, strong-willed and the most caring person I’ve ever met. She’s stubborn when it’s inconvenient but generous with her time, always giving back to those who need help.” He paused, switching out hid cue cards.

“I’ve known Hank for three years now, not quite as long as Raven but we became fast friends in the most unlikely of circumstances. He’s the smartest person you will ever meet but he won’t tell you that himself because he’s also one of the kindest and most humble person you will also ever meet. We bonded over our passionate love for science and science fiction and will always remember those days we spent holed up in your room watching re-runs of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and rehashing the familiar argument over Star Trek vs. Star Wars. Hank, I could never have given Raven away to anyone more deserving than you and I am very happy that you are becoming part of our family. Cheers to the happy couple,” he raised his glass in a toast and watched as smiling faces copied him.

“Salute!” Logan’s voice could be heard the loudest amongst the others as they each took a drink from their flutes of champagne. Both Raven and Hank walked over and gave him a hug in thanks before he could sit down. Raven was trying not to cry but Charles could see she was fighting a losing battle.

Charles sat back down after they left to go make the rounds to thank the rest of their guests and tried to hide his pained grimace, shifting around in his chair to find a comfortable position. His back was throbbing in pain and his legs were shaking from the effort it took to keep standing.

Erik leaned over and distracted him with a kiss, “You aren’t fooling anyone, Charles. Do you need something for the pain,” he said whispered to him, pulling away just far enough to make it look like they were speaking intimately. Charles conceded defeat and nodded in humiliation. He was hoping to get by without having to resort to using his pain medication.

“You’re not weak, Charles,” Erik whispered, “No one here thinks that. Here, I grabbed these earlier in case you needed them.” He handed Charles a small bottle of pills with his name prescribed on them and watched as the man downed the rest of his champagne with two white tablets.

“I thought I was supposed to be the mind reader,” Charles quipped half-heartedly with a crooked smile.

“Well if you would actually read people’s minds, I wouldn’t have to try so hard to convince you of what everything else knows is the truth,” Erik replied with a soft snort.

The medication kicked in a half hour later when everyone was done eating. The servers had cleared the plates and everyone had helped move the tables to make room for dancing. People lingered around in groups, talking amongst themselves.

Both Hank’s mother and grandmother had stopped by to congratulate him for his beautiful speech and his grandmother pinched his cheek, calling him adorable. Erik had laughed quietly, not wanting to draw any attention to himself but couldn’t help but send teasing thoughts towards Charles while he was talking to them.

_I will make everyone believe you are wearing a sparkly pink dress if you don’t stop, my love._ Charles thought while smiling and thanking Hank’s relatives.

_Save it for the bedroom._ Erik replied with a toothy grin.

The sky was darkening when the DJ was finally done setting up and paper lanterns had been lit to give the area ambient light. Charles watched as Raven and Hank took the first dance. Hank was nervous and ended up stumbling a bit but Raven was patient with him, leading him in the right direction. Soon, others joined them on the dance floor, each dancing to the beat in their own way. Jean and Logan were hand in hand, dancing gracefully while Ororo and Scott were a little more awkward together. He laughed particularly at Sean and Alex who were both dancing ridiculously with the kids, flailing and bopping in an uncoordinated manor.

Charles wheeled himself out of the way, trying not to be a burden and only slightly jealous of his friends. How he had loved to dance when he was younger and mobile. Erik had walked away to get them both a drink and came back to find Charles staring at the others with a melancholic look on his face. He sighed heavily and sat the drinks down, approaching Charles with a hand held out to him.

“Do you want to dance?” He asked though he was dreading every second of it. Not because he couldn’t dance. He could actually dance very well but he wasn’t too keen on the social interaction that came along with the expectation of dancing. But he would do anything to make Charles happy, including making a fool out of himself.

Charles looked surprised at his offer but ended up shaking his head with a self-deprecating shrug, “My legs wouldn’t be able to hold me up for very long,” he said ignoring the pang of longing he felt.

Erik frowned, “Who said anything about standing?” he said picking Charles up before he could come up with another excuse, wrapping his long legs around his waist so that their chests were pressed against one another, “All you have to do is hold on to me,”

“Erik, stop. Put me down,” Charles protested, face turning red in embarrassment as the others smiled knowingly at him when they noticed Erik carrying him over. He wrapped his arms around Erik to balance his weight and buried his face into the crook of his neck.

“Please?” Erik pleaded, “Just one song? I want to dance with you at your sister’s wedding and you know how much I detest dancing so I must love you very much,”

“Alright,” Charles gave in with a small huff. Sometimes it was easier to pick your battles with Erik and this wasn’t something that he wanted to fight him on, “One dance,”

Erik agreed and shifted him in his arms. Charles wasn’t heavy by any means but it was awkward for a moment until Erik got used to moving fluidly with a gangly man in his arms.

They ended up dancing to three songs before Charles remembered his stipulation, having too much fun to care how silly they must have looked. Raven made sure to get some pictures so that she could forever have evidence that her brother was a kid a heart, and not an old fuddy duddy that wore sweater vests and wrote in proper English when texting.

Both of them were still laughing when the song changed and the familiar intro to Celine Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’ started playing over the speakers. Most of the dance floor cleared besides the few couples there were. Raven and Hank were dancing slowly in each other’s arms, looking incredibly happy.

“Okay, I draw the line here,” Erik said with every intention on walking off the dance floor but Charles tightened his arms around him, giving Erik the best puppy dog stare that he could muster.

“One more?” he asked imploringly.

“This is one of the sappiest songs in existence and you want to dance to it?” Erik asked incredulously, sighing in defeat.

“It’s perfect for us, don’t you think. ‘You're the one who held me up. Never let me fall. You're the one who saw it through, through it all.’” Charles sang along making Erik shake his head ruefully. The song continued to play through the chorus and Erik found himself inexplicably entranced by the music, swaying with the man he loved in his arms. Charles’s eyes were shining in the light, making his blue eyes seem electric.

“You are lucky I love you,” Erik repeated and Charles leaned up to kiss him languidly. Erik could taste the sweetness of the cake that Charles had eaten a little while ago and licked into his mouth for more.

 “I love you too,” Charles said when he pulled away for air.

“I want you to know something,” Erik said figuring this was the perfect chance to tell him something that had been bothering him for a while. At least now, he couldn’t run away.

“I know slowly losing your legs has been hard,” he started, causing Charles’s eyes to widen in disbelief but Erik pushed through, “And I know that eventually, you are not going to be able to feel anything in them at all anymore and I want you to know that I’m not leaving. It’s going to be tough dealing with it but I will still be here for you, even when you might feel like you might be alone or that I’m better off with someone else,”

Erik paused, watching as Chare’s eyes grew shiny as tears filled them. He wasn’t smiling but he wasn’t frowning either, merely listening quietly so Erik felt confident enough to continue. “And I’m telling you this over an incredibly sappy song because I want you to realize how serious I am. You make do things I never thought I would ever do and I do them because I love you,”

By the time he was done, Charles had tears running down his face and was sniffling quietly. He looked up at Erik, heart thundering in his chest and crushed their lips back together, pouring everything he had into showing Erik how much those words meant to him. Merely saying ‘I love you’ wasn’t enough.

Erik felt like he was floating, holding onto Charles tightly as they kissed, one hand curled around his hip and the other clutching the back of his head, fingers laced through his hair.

“I don’t know what to say,” Charles finally said when he was able to get a hold of himself, looking deeply into Erik’s steel blue eyes.

“Just say that you feel the same way,”

“I do, Erik,” Charles said, making a vow of his own, “I feel exactly the same way,”

They were so wrapped up in each other that it took them a long moment to realize that the song was over and they were still in the middle of the dance floor, slowly swaying as if the outside world meant nothing to them. All their friends were watching them joyfully and Charles blushed at thought of the display they must have put on for everyone.

“Maybe we should take a break,” he suggested and Erik nodded, walking them off the dance floor dutifully. He could feel his arms start to cramp from holding Charles up for so long and imagined how much easier it would have been if Charles was wearing something metal but he didn’t regret it. He walked over towards Charles’s chair but instead of putting him in it, he sat down on the chair next to it, planting Charles down on his lap. He gripping him by the ass and pulling him closer until their groins were touching.

“Erik!” Charles chastised, “There are children at this wedding.”

“But we’re in my favorite position. Now all we need is a wall and we can really get the party started,” Erik whispered teasingly into Charles’s ear, making the younger man whimper and unintentionally writhe in his lap. Erik chuckled and sucked on his ear lobe, making Charles slap him upside the shoulder and push away so that weren’t sitting so intimately.

“Why do I put up with you?” Charles moaned, bringing his arms up so they were around Erik again.

“Because youuuu love me,” Erik sang purposely off key, which made Charles laugh wholeheartedly. 

_Maybe the next time we dance at a wedding, it’ll be ours._

**Author's Note:**

> I had to. I'm pretty sure there's an unwritten rule somewhere that says this song has to be played at weddings because I've heard it at every wedding I've ever attended. It can come off as kinda cheesy though I have to admit that I actually really like it. Celine Dion has some powerful pipes. I'm happy with how this turned out and glad that I was finally able to finish it. I had been playing with the concept of writing a domestic fluff and angst mini series that revolves around this universe but we'll see if I can actually follow through with it.
> 
> Please let me know what you think by leaving a wonderful comment.


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